Throwback Thursday-Hometown Memories


IMG_6455Ice Cream Dreams!

Marie Gerrish- A favorite among many.  Marie owned and operated JW Gerrish Store on Main St, in Winter Harbor, downtown.  She offered up many special treats to folks but Ice Cream seemed to be one of the best.  It probably wasn’t so much the ice cream but what it stood for to us.  We had the freedom to “go to Marie’s for an Ice Cream” -the beginning of excuses to head out the door and wander the streets.  Many folks would stop to get an ice cream for their dog as they took the ritual ride around Schoodic or Grindstone.

Marie’s was the place to go for penny candy, soda, milk shakes, sandwiches, coffee and tea.  This pretty much covered the needs of most age ranges and would mean you also would be quite likely to run into someone you knew.   It was a place to pick up your newspaper, for many years there was a Post Office attached too.

In this piece you can see a lady up in the left hand corner just above the cash register.  This was Maude Gerrish, Marie’s mother.  Marie’s mother and father opened the place and operated it for many years, I’m not sure when Marie took over.  Maude is near the cash register in this photo because some of us remember being in the store and hearing Maude call down to Marie, “Marie I don’t hear that cash register going!”  Marie worked long hours, taking only Sunday afternoon off and then she drove her mother around Schoodic.  I admire how friendly and calm she always was when I saw her.  It was probably not the job many could do but she did it well.  Thank you Marie!

Thank you too to the Historical Society for allowing me access to their photos and taking such good care of the collection.  If you are interested they have one more meeting on schedule for August and perhaps something for September that has of this writing to be announced.

August 12-7pm-Historical Society- Charles Joy will give a presentation about “John Moore”, from Steuben, he owned approx. 2000 acres on Schoodic Point and was the person to donate it to the National Park Service.  He also built a home on Grindstone called Far From Wolves-known by many as Frenchman’s Bay Lodge.

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